Hunter Ashworth Joins New Zealand U-17s
10/15/2015 2:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
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SAN FRANCISCO -- USF freshman defender Hunter Ashworth has been called to join the New Zealand U-17 national team in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Santiago, Chile. With group play slated to start on Oct. 19 and conclude on Oct. 25, Ashworth will definitely miss the Dons' next two matches against Pacific (Oct. 16) and Saint Mary's (Oct. 18). Depending on how well his team performs in group play, Ashworth could be absent from the Dons' backfield until Nov. 8 when the World Cup final is scheduled to be played.
"Since I was four years old I've always wanted to play in a World Cup," said Ashworth, who had started 10 of the 11 matches he'd appeared in during his first season on the Hilltop prior to joining the New Zealand squad in Chile. "It still sounds rather surreal that I am about to play against players my age that play for clubs like Arsenal, Real Madrid, Chelsea, and many others, but I can't explain how excited I am for this challenge. Representing my country on the biggest stage in the world is the greatest honor I've had to this day and to play in front of tens of thousands of people in Chile will be an experience of a lifetime."
Ashworth earned the opportunity to tryout for the New Zealand U-17s after being recruited from his club teams, the L.A. Galaxy Academy and Pateadores Academy, and invited to a week-long camp in Auckland, New Zealand where he played well enough to secure a spot on the roster as one of two non-New Zealanders on the team.
"I think for Hunter it's an excellent opportunity for him to showcase himself playing on a world stage," said USF head coach Eddie Soto. "It's going to be a phenomenal opportunity to play against some of the future stars of the world. I think he's going to really benefit the New Zealand team. Playing big games and meaningful games will continue to develop him as a player and that will benefit us."
"I'm most looking forward to see how I compare to the best players in the world for my age," commented Ashworth, who came to USF from Laguna Beach High School. "I'm embracing the challenge. I also love to travel, so to be in Santiago so far has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The people here are fantastic and the countryside is beautiful."
Ashworth's eligibility to play with the New Zealand national team comes by virtue of his dual citizenship granted due to his father being a New Zealand native. While Ashworth himself has never lived in New Zealand, he has visited his family there regularly over the years.
The transition from the collegiate game to the international stage offers Ashworth an opportunity to parlay his skills from each respective style.
"The players on my national team are extremely technical and read the game tremendously, which creates for a much more possession-oriented game," explained Ashworth, "whereas college soccer is far more direct and more athletic (due to the fact that you play against men). However, having to adapt to the college game has certainly been a good learning experience because the style of soccer is more athletic which has helped me come back to the national team and cope with the pace of the game."
So far, Ashworth has played in both friendlies leading up to group play. He registered 45 minutes of action against Mexico and played all 90 minutes versus South Africa.
New Zealand will be competing in Group F with France, Syria and Paraguay. Their first group match will pit them against France on Monday, Oct. 19 at 1 p.m. Pacific Time (5 p.m. local time). New Zealand will then play Syria in their second group contest on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. Pacific, followed by their final group match versus Paraguay on Sunday, Oct. 25 at noon Pacific.
The FIFA MEN'S U-17 WORLD CUP 2015 kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 17 in Chile, and FOX Sports carries the event in the U.S. for the first time ever. The tournament features 24 national teams representing every confederation, and FS2 and FOX Soccer Plus offer all 52 matches exclusively, including the group stages, knockout rounds and the final. More than half the matches air on FS2, including each one from the quarterfinal through the final, which is being played on Sunday, Nov. 8. All matches on FS2 are available for streaming via the FOX Sports GO app and online at FOXSportsGO.com. All 52 matches are also available live and on-demand on FOX Soccer 2Go.
